Align Financial LLC Invests $24.94 Million in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Align Financial LLC opened a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter, buying 223,815 shares worth about $24.94 million.
• Institutional interest in Walmart remains strong, with major investors like Norges Bank, Vanguard, Geode Capital, and AQR adding to positions. Hedge funds and other institutions now own 26.76% of the company.
• Walmart’s latest quarter showed solid operating performance: EPS matched estimates at $0.66 and revenue rose 7.4% year over year to $177.75 billion, even as the stock was down about 2.4% on the day.

Align Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 223,815 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $24,935,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Walmart by 188.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Walmart by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Down 2.4%

WMT stock opened at $118.13 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $124.92 and a 200 day moving average of $122.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $940.09 billion, a PE ratio of 41.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $94.09 and a 52 week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. Walmart's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 117,246 shares of company stock worth $14,493,147 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being highlighted by analysts as one of the best large-cap S&P 500 stocks to buy, reflecting continued confidence in its scale, defensive business model, and long-term earnings power. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising and retail media revenue is surging as marketplace growth and seller spending increase, supporting a higher-margin growth engine beyond traditional retail sales. Walmart's Advertising Revenues Soar: Is Retail Media Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its delivery offering by adding Subway meals delivery, reinforcing its convenience strategy and broadening customer traffic and online order opportunities. Walmart Inc (WMT) Adds Subway Meals Delivery. Get the Bigger Picture
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent article argues Walmart’s 9.2% pullback may be tied to fuel costs and consumer pressure, but says strong e-commerce, marketplace, and higher-margin growth keep the investment case intact. How to Play Walmart Stock After Its Recent 9.2% Pullback?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,385 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction, a modest insider sale that can add to near-term investor caution even though it was not an open-market surprise. SEC Form 4 - Daniel J. Bartlett

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Tigress Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

About Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a broad portfolio of store formats and digital services. Its core business includes large-format supercenters, discount department stores, neighborhood grocery stores and a membership warehouse chain, Sam’s Club. The company’s merchandising mix covers groceries, household goods, apparel, electronics and pharmacy services, supplemented by private-label products and category-specific offerings. Walmart pairs its physical store network with online platforms and mobile applications to provide omnichannel shopping, fulfillment and delivery options for consumers and businesses.

The company was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962; it is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.

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